Curiosity is the best policy

Book review of The Curious Marketer: Expeditions in branding and consumer behaviour

The Curious Marketer

Expeditions in Branding and Consumer Behaviour 

Harish Bhat

Penguin Random House India 

322 pages; Rs 599

Marketing experts and marketers themselves often say marketing is all about common sense — to make it work, all one needs to do is be customer-focused and results-driven. Why, then, should one spend money reading for a Master of Marketing degree from a blue-chip business school? Why should anyone take the trouble of continuous skill development? Because marketing may really be common sense, but the common sense is not that common.

Still with me?

Quite simply, the issue is this: Consumers are changing and the stakes are much higher every day, but marketers and their brands often do not ask the right questions or have the curiosity to look around them, spot the changes or raise their thinking to the next level. What customers truly crave are amazing experiences and you can only give them that if you really understand their likes and dislikes. It is this virtue — curiosity — that separates the boys from the men, the Apples and Tata Teas from the rest of the pack, says Harish Bhat in his book The Curious Marketer, a compilation of his columns that have appeared in newspapers. The common thread that binds the stories Mr Bhat narrates is the quality of inquisitiveness that has repeatedly pushed smart marketers — across the globe, irrespective of industry — to leave their comfort zones and explore beyond known boundaries.

So what does curiosity really achieve? “The first reason is that curiosity can lead to new ideas, either immediately or sometime in the future”—just like Steve Jobs’ curiosity led him to learn calligraphy, which several years later, helped him design the distinctive Apple Mac. 

“Curiosity can offer clarity and deep insight in many situations that can quickly lead to new and purposeful marketing actions… Curiosity can help marketers implement continuous improvement in their products and services, thereby constantly delighting customers… Curiosity plays a key role in keeping marketers’ minds always engaged,” says the author.

What makes curiosity such a great virtue? Well, one of the greatest struggles in marketing is irrelevancy, which seems to be a recurring theme among many of books in this genre. Each one offers its own version of the right strategy to avoid this common booby trap, by doing something original, controlling the conversation, inspiring customer stickiness, or improving your own offering. 

Mr Bhat takes a completely different route — he simply reminds us of the basics of business that we all seem to forget at some point in our careers. One good thing is that his book is largely anecdotal and remarkably jargon-and theory-free. This book is a straightforward, simple read which illustrates with powerful examples how to create something outside the everyday. 

I suspect Mr Bhat simply wanted to speak as a marketing man to other marketing men, as a member of the profession rather than as a highfalutin theorist or strategy guru. Perhaps, the other reason the author steers clear of theories and schools of thought is that they somehow imply academic stasis, whereas marketing is supposed to be dynamic — it just evolves. 

Back to curiosity — or marketing intelligence if you wish — it can come from many places: Experience, education, even festivals. Mr Bhat sets the agenda for marketers by listing out a series of actions they would do well to integrate in their lives. He lists the first seven steps businessmen and women need to master.

First, he says, be aware that you do not know it all. Second, ask questions all the time. Third, listen extensively, without judgement. Fourth, observe customers with keen and fresh eye. Fifth, seek new experiences, meet new people. Sixth, embrace the unexpected. Seventh, read, read and read. 

As I said common sense, but perhaps marketers are not doing that often enough.

The book, however, leaves out many vital questions — and these are questions most marketers are grappling with today: How does one deal with the massive proliferation of marketing channels? What truly influences people’s decisions in today’s message-cluttered world? How do businesses and brands reach out to new and existing customers on the customers’ terms? More importantly, when should the marketer back off?

That said, “The curious marketer” is a fair amount of homework. Through its 57 articles, it makes a sincere effort to unravel some winning ideas and shows how to apply these rules to help your brand stay relevant. The author has one great advantage — he has worked with the Tata group in various capacities for over 30 years, travelling across the country and the world and has carefully observed human behaviour to help define the products and brands on which he has worked.